Lock construction



Oct. 182 1,960 .n .1. B. HuMPHRu-:ss 2,956,827`

-LOCK CONSTRUCTION Y Filed June 26. 195? 3 sheets-sheet@ BY am fj m AORNEYS Oct. 18, 1960 Filed June 26. 1957 .1. B/HuMPHmEs ,y l2,956,827

Lcx coNs'rRucT'roN 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Oct. 18, 1960 J. B.HUMPHRIES 2,956,827

LOCK CONSTRUCTION Filed June 26. 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR UniteStat-,e Page LOCK CONSTRUCTION John B. Humphries, Stamford, Conn.,assignor to The Excelsior Hardware Company, Stamford, Conn.

Filed June 26, 1957, Ser. No. 668,238

7 Claims. (Cl. 292--99) This invention relates to a luggage latchconstruction or the like. More particularly, the invention is concernedwith a latch suitably accommodated on a substantially fiat surface of asuitcase or the like and having its releasing mechanism disposedsubstantially flush with the surface of the suitcase on which it ismounted.

An object of this invention is to provide a latch construction whichwill be pleasing in appearance and simple in construction. Anotherobject of this invention-is to provide a latch construction of the abovecharacter in Which the various parts are free from complexity and may beinexpensively manufactured and assembled. Another object of thisinvention is to provide a latch construction of the above character inwhich the assembly may be mounted in operating position on a suitcasewith great ease, thus reducing the manufacturing costs. Another objectof this invention is to provide a latch construction of the abovecharacter in which the releasing mechanism is pleasing in appearancebecause of its simplicity and the fact that it may be mounted fiush withthe exposed or front surface of the suitcase. Another object of thisinvention is to provide a latch construction of the above characterwhich will greatly facilitate the opening and closing of the suitcase.Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed outhereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope ofthe invention will be indicated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of the variouspossible embodiments of this invention,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective View of the front corner sectionof a suitcase with my latch construction mounted therein,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the latch construction takenalong the lines 2-2 of Figure l,

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 3-3 ofFigures 2 and 7,

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 4-4 ofFigures 2 and 7 showing the latch construction in the closed or lockedposition,

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 5 5 ofFigure 7 showing the latch construction in the open or release position,

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view of the latch mechanism taken alongthe line 6-6 of Figure 3,

Figure 7 is a Vertical sectional View taken along thev line 7-7 ofFigure 3 with the parts in the closed or locking position,

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view similar to Figure 7 with the partsin the open or release position, and

Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view showing the four sets ofassemblies comprising the lock construction to be described anddepicting their interrelation.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

Generally speaking, the latch construction comprises ice a base plategenerally indicated at 10 (Figures 1, 2 and 9) having pivotally mountedtherein a release lever generally indicated at 12 (Figures l, 2, 3 and9), the face plate being mounted in the usual position on the front sideof a suitcase generally indicated at 14 (Figure 1). As will beunderstood from a consideration of Figures 1, 2 and 9, a casing plategenerally indicated at 16 is mounted on the rear or the side wall of thesuitcase preferably in a suitable recess formed therefor (not shown),and this casing plate houses the latching mechanism adapted to co-actwith a hook 18 (Figure 1) extending from the bottom edge of the usualhinged top 20 of the suitcase. Thus there is an opening 22 in the top ofcasing plate 16 (Figures l and 9) and immediatelyrtherebeneath there isa sliding U-sliaped bar generally indicated at 24 (Figures 7, 8 and 9),a sliding latch bar generally indicated at 26 and a latch membergenerally indicated at 28 pivotally supported thereon. Latch member 28is urged upwardly by a spring 30, and latch member 28 is pivoted in acounterclockwise direction (Figures 7, 8 and 9) by a spring 32.

As best seen in Figures 3 and 7, when the case is closed the hook 18presses bar 24 to its lower-most position, and this pivots latch member28 to an interfitting or latching position therewith to lock the case inthe closed position. As can be seen in Figures 4 and 7, a lug 34 exurgebar 24 and latch bar 26 upwardly; this pivots latchl member 28 in aclockwise direction (Figures 7 and 8) to the release position as shownin Figure 8.

As can be seen in Figures l, 2 and 3, face plate 10 includes a flange 36resting against the front of the case and inwardly extending walls 38,40 (Figure 3), 42 and 44 (Figure 2). There is a rear closure plate 46intertting with these walls (Figure 2) and suitably secured to faceplate 10 by any suitable means. As can be seen in Figures 2 and 3,release lever 12 has a pair of pins 48 and 50 extending from theopposite sides thereof and fitting into suitable holes formed in walls42 and 44 (Figure 2). The left portion 12a of release lever 12, as seenin Figure 3, is cut out to allow sufiicient pivoting thereof to move lug34 away from extension 26a thereby releasing the latch (Figure 5). Asbest seen in Figures 4, 5 and 9, there are a pair of slots 52 and 54formed in closure plate 46, and a spring 56 is fitted therebetween withone end 56a (Figure 5) resting on the inner side of the plate and theother end 56b fitting in a slot 34a (Figure 9) in lug 34. Accordingly,when release lever 12 is pressed to the release position indicated inFigure 5, spring 56 holds it in such position until the next closing ofthe case.

Referring to Figures 2, 3 and 9, casing platev 16 comprises a rearsection 58, end walls 60 and 62, a bottom wall 61, a top wall 64 and anupwardly extending section 58a. Casing plate 16 also has a top flangeportion 66 and generally indicated at 72 preferably force fitted within,

walls 60, 61 and 62 of casing plate 16 to hold the various parts in theassembled relation shown in Figures 7 and 8. More particularly, as seenin Figures 7 and 8, a lug '74 extends from the rear section 58 of casingplate 16 adjacent bar 2d` to hold thebar inrvertically sliding position.Referring still to Figures 7 and 9, apair'of lugs,:7,6 extend from latchbar 26v into longitudinal` slots178= in intermediate cover. plate; 70.A. lug, 80 extends from latch member 28 into a-` diagonal slot S2 incover plate "70,- and this latch member. is pivotally mounted in latchbar 26 by way of a circular portion 28a ttingwithin a hole 26h in therespective parts. Al lug 84 extends from rear. section 58 to support thespring 30 having a bottom section 30a resting onbottom wall 61 anda freeend 3019 urging bar 24V in an upward direction. Spring 32 is suitablysecured' to wall 6,2, and its free end 32a (Figures 7 and 8) preferablyrests in a concavity 2811 formed in the lower endof latch member 28;

Conveniently, the latch construction may be manufactured and assembledinto two units by the latch manufacturer and shipped in such fashion tothe` luggage manufacturer where the two units can be inally assembled onthe suitcase. Thus the two assembled units` as made by the latchmanufacturer will include as one such.

assembled at point of manufacture will, of course, include faceplate 10,release lever` 12 and associated partsA as seen in Figure` 9 but fullyassembled as shown in Figures` 2 and 3. Upon receipt of these parts,thel luggage manufacturer rst lits the cover plate and associated parts.

in a suitably formed cavity 86 (FiguresZ and 3) in the rear or insidesurface of the case opposite an opening 88 extending through the case.Next the front piece including the face plate 10 and the release lever12 is inserted in the opening 88 so that flange 36 rests Hush againstthe front of the case. In such position of-4 the parts, a. pair of lugs90 extend from closure plate 46 (Figures 4, 7 and 9) through slots 92 incover p-latey 70 and slots 94 in casing plate 16; ends 90a are then bentdown upon the rear surface of the casing plate to. complete theassembly. By this simple operation the latching mechanism for the caseis quickly installed in a permanent position without the use of screwsor any other fastening elements thus effecting considerable economy inlabor and materials.

Further still, it will` be appreciated that casing plate.

when the cover 20 of the suitcase is pushed into'the-closed' position.This is accomplished by adjusting the position of the hook 18 with anysuitable mechanism (not shown). Thus, the hook is located so that itwill interlock with latch member 28 when the top 20 is in the closedposition. Immediately beneath the keyhole 96 in release lever 12, theremay be provided conventional locking mechanism mounted in the face plate18. Such locking mechanism may be designed to lock release lever 12Vupon the turning of a key against movement to the release position shownin Figure 5. Conventional locking mechanism may be utilized for thispurpose and is, therefore, not shown for it forms no part of the presentinvention.

Not only is the latch mechanism here described simple in constructionand easily assembled by the luggage manufacturer, but it may also beconveniently operated by the user. To close the suitcase it is merelynecessary to push the top 20 down to the closed position. This allowshook i8 (Figures 7 and 8) to engage leg 24a of bar 24 moving the bar tothe position shown in Figure 7. Such` movement also moves latch bar 26to pivot latch member 28 as lug 80 follows along in slot 82. The resultis an interfitting of the extremities 18a and 28a of hook 18 and latchmember 28, respectively, as can be seen in Figure 7. To release thecover 20 it is merely necessary to press release lever 12 over thekeyhole 96 to the position shown in Figure 5. This moves lug 34 out ofthe path of extension 26a (Figures 5 and 7) permitting spring 30 to urgethe parts upwardly from the position of Figure 7 to the position ofFigure 8; Spring 30 may be sufficiently strong to move the partsupwardly violently thereby producing-,a desirable pop-up effect.Preferably there may be two of these latches at opposite ends of thecase. Thus, merely by exerting slight pressure on the two release barsso located, the cover 20 pops up substantially to the position shown inFigure l where it may be easily grasped for complete opening.

lt will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those madeapparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained andsince certain changes may be made in the above construction withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, `it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingydrawings shall be interpreted as.A illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

It is also to be understood` that the following claims are intended. tocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statementsl ofthe scopeV of the invention, which, asa matter of language, `might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim:

l. In luggage. latch construction the combination comprising a casingmember adapted to be mounted substantially entirely within the thin wallof a luggage unit, an outer ange of said casing adapted to overlle anouter surface of said luggage wall in substantially flush relationthereto, a first longitudinally slidable member withinsaid casing, afirst lever, arm pivotally mounted on said slidable member, and movablethereby between latching and unlatching positions, a first spring memberengaged with said first lever arm and adapted to urge said slidablemember longitudinally and to pivot said lever arm to an unlatchedposition, a releasable catch engageable with a portionof said slidablemember to prevent longitudinal motion thereof whereby said first leverarm is retained immovably locked in a latching position, a manuallyoperable externally accessible flush mounted second lever arm pivotallysupported on an axis` within said casing normal to but-not intersectingthe axis of said first lever arm, means joining said second pivotallever arm` with saidreleasable catch, and further spring means normallyholding said second lever arm in a plane substantially parallel to andflush with said. outer casing flange.

2. The combination of claim l including a second longitudinally slidablemember having a pair of laterally extending arms encompassing said firstlongitudinally slidable member, and spring loading means normally urgingsaid second slidable member in the same direction that said first springmember urges said first slidable member and said first lever arm,whereby the longitudinal motion of said first slidable member is limitedby and confined within said laterally extending` arms of said secondslidable member.

3. In a latch construction for a luggage` unit having a hinged lid witha projecting hook member depending therefrom, the combination of acasing adapted to be mounted in the top side of said luggage unit facingsaid hook member, a first longitudinally slidable member within saidcasing, a lirst lever arm pivotally mounted on said slidable member `andmovable thereby between latching and unlatching position, resilientmeans within said casing urging said slidable member longitudinally andpivoting said first pivotal lever arm to its unlatched position, amanually operable externally accessible second lever arm pivotallyflush-mounted in said casing and having a norm-ally closed position anda pivotally depressed open position and catch means interconnecting saidsecond lever arm with said Iiirst slidable member and opertive when saidsecond lever arm is in said closed position for holding said iirstpivotal lever arm in said latched position.

4. The combination defined in claim 3 including releasable locking meansin said casing normally retaining said second pivotal lever arm in saidnormally closed position.

5. The combination deiined in claim 3 including resilient means in saidcasing normally retaining said second pivotal lever arm in said normallyclosed position.

6. The combination defined in claim 3 including cam means adapted toguide said iirst pivotal lever arm between said latching and unlatchingpositions upon longitudinal movement of said iirst slidable member.

7. Ina latch construction adapted to co-act with catch means on the lidof a luggage unit, the combination of an interior unit including acasing and latching mechanism adapted for mounting in the Wall of saidluggage unit, said latching mechanism including a longitudinally slidingmember and a latching lever pivotally mounted thereon for releasableengagement with said catch means, an exterior unit including la pivotalmember adapted to be mounted on the exterior of said luggage wallopposite the interior unit, means forming an aperture in said latchingmechanism adjacent said sliding member, a lug extending from saidpivotal member adapted to project into said aperture and to inter-litwith said sliding member to hold said latching lever in engagement withsaid catch means, and means Iinterconnecting said exterior and nteriorunits to form a unitary latching structure on said luggage unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,864,956 Stone v June 28, 1932 2,030,456 Ledin Feb. 11, 1936 2,399,302Thiele Apr. 20, 1946 2,594,940 Levine Apr. 29, 1952

